Washington, D.C.-- August 23--Five activists were arrested today after
locking down the Old Executive Office Building a block from the White
House, the site of the office of Vice President Al Gore, to protest
elements of a U.S.-South Africa deal on pharmaceutical access which has
not yet been made public.

The demonstration lasted for over an hour and firemen were called to cut the
activists' chains. The protesters, members of the group AIDS Drugs for Africa,
were handcuffed together with their hands inside pipes to make it difficult to
remove them from the entrance of the building.

The proposed agreement would resolve a two-year dispute-during which the
U.S. has brought trade sanctions against South Africa-over a 1997 South
African law allowing the country to manufacture or import inexpensive
versions of high-priced U.S.-patented drugs, powers which are fully legal
under World Trade Organization rules.

According to the activists, leaked information indicated that Gore-the Chair
of the U.S.-South Africa Bi-national Commission-is insisting on an agreement
which would only allow South Africa to use these cost-saving measures
for drugs against AIDS, not for other diseases.

While the deal has not been signed, it is in the
final stages of negotiation. The protesters charge that the Gore proposal
would unfairly limit South Africa's right to produce and import important
drugs at affordable prices, critical for a country with very restricted
health care funds.

"Gore has already tried to save his reputation by asking Congress to spend
$100 million on AIDS in Africa and other poor nations - none of which
would even go for purchasing anti-HIV drugs," said protester Linda Lu.

"This deal is a ruse as it is unlikely to pass Congress given budget caps
and constraints, and is intended to appease human rights watchers while
winking at pharmaceutical companies."

Since June, AIDS activists have been dogging Gore at campaign stops around
the country. While Gore has repeatedly made public offers to meet with
protesters, he has not responded to verbal and written requests for such a
meeting.

According to the Wall Street Journal, talks to resolve the U.S.-South
Africa dispute intensified soon after the first protests. The activists
stated that leaked information in July had indicated that the U.S. was
ready to offer South Africa a deal allowing that country to only do
parallel importing (importation of inexpensive versions of drugs from
sources other than the manufacturer).

Then a later leak, expanding on a public statement made by Gore a week
after the controversy ignited, indicated that the Administration was willing to
allow compulsory licensing (domestic manufacture of patented drugs), but only
if South Africa signed an agreement pledging to comply with international trade
law.

As a result of these leaks, the Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America increased its lobbying and Gore recently reversed
his position again, insisting on an agreement which would only allow South
Africa to use the parallel importing and compulsory licensing for AIDS
drugs.

Shortly after the second leak, an official of the U.S. Trade
Representative's office, Joe Popovich, told a Congressional hearing that
the administration is not willing to relax its trade policy to allow for
compulsory licensing and parallel importing. He went on to say that
because of the spread of HIV, the may be willing to relax the trade policy
for HIV and AIDS drugs only.

Activists say the forthcoming deal implies that this concession will be
granted only to South Africa.. In recent months, American trade officials
have applied negative pressure to other developing nations attempting to
access AIDS medications and other life-saving treatments under provisions
of the World Trade Organization's TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property) Agreement.

"The U.S. signed the TRIPS agreement, and now Gore is trying to limit the
exercise of its provisions," said Marshal Weaver of AIDS Drugs for Africa.
"South Africa has 3 million people with HIV, and infection rates are
increasing exponentially. South Africa has the right to produce generic
AIDS drugs and buy from generic manufacturers. The U.S. has curbed that
right."

The United States, through Gore and US Trade Representative Charlene
Barshefsky, has repeatedly claimed that the South African law violates
intellectual property rights.

"No American official has been able to say exactly what part of
international trade agreements are being violated by South Africa.
Meanwhile, the US has not interfered with parallel importing of drugs by
the UK, Canada and the Netherlands," said Anna Lynne of AIDS Drugs for
Africa.

"The TRIPS agreement states in clear language that patents for
essential resources may be circumvented when it is in the public interest
in the case of national emergency. And that same agreement in no way
restricts parallel importation."

South Africa cannot afford AIDS treatments at name-brand prices. Generic
versions of the same medications can be produced at about one-tenth of the
cost. Pharmaceutical companies, whose lobbyists are close Gore associates
and who donate generously to his campaign coffers, have sued South Africa
to block the 1997 Medicines Law.

Activists from the group AIDS Drugs for Africa say they will escalate
their protests until the United States stops pressuring developing nations
to refrain from exercising their rights.

In recent weeks, two open letters have been sent to the Vice President urging him
to end U.S. government pressure on South Africa.

One letter was signed by a global list of over
200 public health experts, AIDS leaders, human rights, religious, labor
and development leaders, and concerned citizens; the other by South
Africa's HIV/AIDS Treatment Action Campaign, a coalition that mounted two
large demonstrations last month at U.S. consulates in that country.

Gore's obstruction of South Africa's efforts has been criticized by such
prominent personalities as civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson,
consumer advocate Ralph Nader and syndicated columnists Arianna
Huffington, Molly Ivins and David Corn. And Monday, a lead editorial in The New
York Times called on the administration to change its position on this
issue.